PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND BIOACTIVITY OF Zingiber officinale TO COMBAT THE MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT BACTERIAL PATHOGENS USING FOLDSCOPE

Background: Foldscope, is a paper-based, portable microscope with a magnification power of 140X. Zingiber officinale is widely used as spice, flavor and therapeutic plant in folk and conventional medicines. It is used in the regular diet in many asian countries. Chemical analysis of ginger shows that it consists of more than 400 different compounds.

Aim: In the present study, to isolate and identify the skin infection causing multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens from clinical specimens using Foldscope (a paper microscope). To evaluate the phytochemicals and antimicrobial activity of aqueous extract of Zingiber officinale rhizome against the isolated MDR bacterial pathogens.

Materials and Methods: The isolates were examined by Foldscope microscopy and biochemical tests. Phyto-chemical study analyzed the existence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, terpenoids, steroids, tannins, reducing sugars, carbohydrates, and amino acids. Chloramphenicol, Penicillin, Streptomycin, Methicillin, and Vancomycin, are the antibiotic disc used in the disc diffusion assay.

Results: The pathogens were isolated using Foldscope. Phytochemical study revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, carbohydrates and reducing sugars, saponins, Glycosides, terpenoids, and steroids. Antimicrobial activity was performed by Kirby-Bauer’s–agar well diffusion method using aqueous extract of Z. officinale against the pathogens from wound and multidrug-resistant pattern was observed in the isolates. The crude aqueous extract of Z. officinale rhizome was found to be active against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (20 mm), Escherichia coli (19 mm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22 mm) and Klebsiella pneumonia (19 mm). The highest zone of clearance was found in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22 mm), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (20 mm), Escherichia coli (19 mm), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (19 mm).

Conclusion: The end result attained that the aqueous extracts have a potential resource of useful pharmaceutical bioactive and antibacterial property and it is used as a natural drug by means of itself to treat the microbial infection.